The NEW Truth About Artificial Sweeteners

Not sure how to sweeten your morning coffee? While your best bet is to use nothing at all (after a few weeks, you'll probably like it better that way), new research on artificial sweeteners has broadened your options once again.

The FDA has given the thumbs-up to sucralose (Splenda), aspartame (Nutrasweet) and even saccharin (Sweet'N Low), which was once warned to possibly cause cancer in rats.

And then, of course, there's old-fashioned sugar. With all of these choices -- and the health risks (obesity, diabetes, heart disease) associated with too much sugar -- what's a sweet-toothed gal to do?

We spoke to registered dietician Kristin Kirkpatrick, wellness manager with the Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic, to get the truth.

“There is very little evidence that artificial sweeteners are really going to cause the horrific things we read about like cancer or Alzheimer’s,” says Kirkpatrick. “Most of these studies are on rats using huge amounts of sweetener, so we really don’t have sound scientific data. That’s not to say they’re great and we should be using them a lot.”

Many of you probably remember when Sweet’N Low (saccharin) packets carried the warning, “May cause cancer in laboratory animals.” In recent years, the FDA has removed the label after further studies didn’t show an increased risk of cancer. Equal (aspartame) has been deemed safe as well — as long as you don’t have a rare metabolic disorder known as PKU (phenylketonuria).

“Splenda (sucralose) appears to be the safest artificial sweetener on the market based on the research, which is why it’s popping up in everything,” says Kirkpatrick. “It also tastes the most like actual sugar.” But with this sugar substitute, or any sugar substitute, she cautions that we should sprinkle with caution.

“We are still pretty new in the artificial sweetener area,” she says. “They appear to be safe — they wouldn’t be on the market unless that was the case — but it’s best to use them in moderation, because they haven’t been around long enough to know for sure.”

Some new studies indicate that artificial sugar substitutes may be tied to weight gain — and therefore may not be the diet miracle that some people assume they are. In one study at Purdue University, rats that were given yogurt sweetened with table sugar gained less weight than rats given yogurt sweetened with saccharin.

“They confuse your system,” Kirkpatrick explains. “You have a diet cola and your sensory is that you get a lot of sweet, and your digestive reflex and your brain are expecting to get something very high in calories but — because the artificial sweetener can’t be metabolized by the body — they don’t get those calories. This may actually cause you to consume more calories and gain weight.”

What about the relatively new “natural” sugar substitutes like stevia — the ingredient that makes up Truvia, which has popped up on grocery shelves in the last year and a half? Approved by the FDA in late 2008, this zero-calorie substitute is made from the leaves of a South American shrub (see image below). Another brand-new substitute, SUSTA, is also plant-based.

While these are significantly more natural than their predecessors, Kirkpartrick warns that you should make sure they are safe for you.

“It’s an herb, and anytime you’re taking an herb you want to make sure it’s not something that’s going to interact with medication,” she says. “So I would definitely recommend talking to your doctor or dietician first.”

What we do know about all of these sugar substitutes is that they don’t take away your receptors for sweet things.

“When you have artificial sweeteners, you don’t untrain your taste buds to crave sweets,” Kirkpatrick says. “The more sweet things you have, the more sweet things you want. With artificial sweeteners, you are constantly feeding that craving.” Kirkpatrick also points out that people who consume large amounts of artificial sweeteners aren’t getting as many nutrients in their day.

Bottom line: There’s not enough scientific evidence for a true verdict. But really, your best best is to cut back on sweets altogether.

“I think the main goal for people over time should be to reduce their dependance on sweet things,” says Kirkpatrick. “Go for six weeks having your coffee without sugar. It’s largely habit, because that’s what you’re used to having in the morning, but you can break it.”